Silencer for gas-engines, &amp;c.



H. P. MAXIM.

SILENGER FOR GAS ENGINES, &c.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1914.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914 WIN/E8858 ATIORNEY HIRAM PEBCY MAXIM, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

SILENCER FOR GAS-ENGINES, &c.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

Application flled lay 8,1914. Serial No. 837,105.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HIRAM PERCY. MAXIM, a citizen of the United States,- and resident of Hartford, countypf Hartford, State of Connecticut, have made 'a certain new and useful. Invention Relating to Silencers for Gas-Engines, &c., of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which forms part of the same.

This invention relates especially to silencers for use with automobile gas engines or the like in which the casing may comprise a substantially cylindrical casing body and a'cooperating end. member having an inlet opening and deflecting means to direct the gases around the end of the casing, if desired. An internal shell which may have a series of longitudinal recesses may be mounted within the casing so as to form an inner equalizing chamber and a'discharge bathe plate may be used to close one end of the shell and simultaneously leave a restricted annular discharge slot'or opening extending around the casing adjacent its discharge end. The parts may be conveniently held together by a series of spacing rods locatedinsaidrecesses and holding said baffle plate and shell'in proper cooperation with the inlet end member,a' series of multiple spirally curved partitions also being if desired mounted on said'spacing rods between suitable spacing sleeves thereon so as to be 10- cated-between the shell and casing and form in connection therewith a series of communicating annular .whirl chambers each having a plurality of retarding discharge openings. The initial whirl chamber with which the inlet opening communicates may be provided on its inner side'with an annular serles of accelerating discharge apertures having cooperating deflecting guides projecting into the whirl'chamber to promote the periodic passage of part of the initial gas impulses into the equalizing chamber. member provided with an outlet opening may be-held in cooperation with the casing In the accompanying; drawing which shows in a somewhat'diagrammatic way several illustrative embodiments of this invention Figure 1 is a. longitudinal section,partsbeing shown in elevation. Fig; 2 is a trans- Another end' verse section thereof. Fig. 3 is a similar transverse section showing a modification; and Fig. 4 is a detail showing one of the partitions shown in Fig. 1.

The silencer casing which preferably has a substantially cylindrical form may have any suitable shape and construction and may comprise a substantially cylindrical casing body 4 ofsuitable material, such as sheet steel, forl-cheapncss and lightness. A cooperating end member such as 1 may be formed with a connecting flange 3 to engage the casing body and may be provided with a suitable inlet opening 201 any suitable size and construction with which, if desired, an integral internal deflector 5 of any suitable shape may cooperate so as to direct the exhaust gases around the end of the easing as indicated by the arrow. An internal shell, such as 19, formed of sheet-metal or the like may be mounted in any suitable way within the casing so as to form an inner equalizing chamber, and for some purposes it is desirable to form a series of longitudinal recesses, such as 27, in this shell which may be readily done by first stamping these recesses in the sheet metal before bending or forming it into generally cylindrical form. A separate plate may be used to close the end of this equalizing chamber, and if desired, a dischargebafile plate, such as 22, may also be used forthis purpose and be arranged so as to leave a restricted annular discharge slot around the casing adjacent its discharge end. These parts can be readily held together by suitable spacing members or rods, such as 20, which may extendthrough the-end 1 and have'suitable heads or nuts Q'ocOoperating' therewith andhave suitable nuts 23 cooperating with-the other ends of these rods so as to hold the plate 22 and casing 19 in tight cooperation with the end member 1. For some purposes it is quite desirable to have these spacing members located in the longitudinal recesses formed in the shell so that they do not project into the annular .space formed between the shell and easing.

A. series of partitions may be mounted in any suitable way between theshell and cas ing so as to form a series of communicating annular whirl chambers and'by using a plurality jof lapping partitions between each two whirl. chambers a corresponding number of-dischargeopenings are provided for each chamber and the lapping ends of these partitions may be so directed as to retard the discharge of gases through the Openings thus formed without reversing the natural direction of movement in the whirl chamber so that these discharge openings have a considerable retarding action in this way. As shown in the drawings each set of thesepartitions may be formed of three substantially semi-circular sheet metal partitions, such as 8, 9, 10, (see Fig. 4), each of the partitions being preferably though not necessarily provided with inwardly projecting supporting lugs, such as 28, in which may be formed the holes 26 to accommodate the spacing rods or members. These partitions may be conveniently formed by stamping them from sheet steel or the like and they may be firmly supported in the desired position by the use of suitable spacing sleeves, such as 21, on these supporting rods between which the partitions may be securely clamped, preferably having been first bent into the desired substantially spiral form. A similar series of these partitions also numbers 8, 9, 10 in Fig. 1 of the drawing maybe arranged on the other side of this whirl chamber 42, the pitch of the spiral partitions being oppositely directed in this instance and one or more similar sets of such partitions may be arranged farther along toward the outlet end of the casing, such as the partitions 11, 12 and 13, and 15, 17 and .18. In this way any desired number of communicating whirl chambers may be provided between the casing and shell, such as 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46 and by the use of these reversely directed spiral partitions multiple retarding discharge openings are formed from each chamber to the succeeding one, so that the direction of movement of the discharge gases must be reversed as the gases pass from each chamber to the next. Therefore an important equalizing and evening action is secured in this way, since the high velocity gas impulses cause such energetic whirling action in each whirl chamber as to momentarily retard the discharge of gas therefrom, so that six or eight communicating whirl chambers ofthis character exert an important equalizing and evening action on the ordinary gas engine exhaust.

Further equalization of the exhaust may be secured by allowing the entering exhaust gases to have access to the equalizing chamber which may be given a considerable capacity as compared with each of the whirl chambers and this may be done by forming a series of suitable apertures or openings allowing communication between the equalizing chamber and the first one or two of the whirl chambers of the series. It is also desirable to provide in this connection'accelerating apertures which through cooperating deflecting guides, for instance, are adapted to promote the' periodic passage of part of the initial gas impulses into the equalizing chamber where the gases are first admitted to one of the whirl chambers as in Fig. 1. As therein indicated the discharge apertures 6 may each be provided with deflecting guides, such as 7, which project into the path of the whirling gases in the adjacent whirl chamber 41 so'as to considerably promote the passage of part of these gases into-the equalizing chamber 22 within when the initial high velocity gas impulse enters the whirl chamber. The exhaust gases are thus more or less forcibly driven into the'equalizing chamber so long as they circulate in the direction indicated by the full line arrows around this initial whirl chamber so that during this period a considerable part of the sharp puff or gas impulse enters the equalizing chamber and-is subsequently discharged therefrom during the later period when the impulse or peak of the exhaust wave has passed, thus allowing the direction of the gas in this whirl chamber to reverse and thus promote the withdrawal of part of the gas from the equalizing chamber. The

exhaust gases by this action and by the crowding out of part of the gas from the initial whirl chamber by static pressure are thus forced through the retarding discharge passages in the direction indicated by the dot and dash arrow so as to enter the succeeding whirl chamber around which they circulate as indicated by the full line arrow. The normal movement and discharging action is similar in each case and the normal direction of rotation in each whirl chamber is indicated by the full line arrow in conection therewith in Fig. 1, while the reverse discharge movement is indicated by the corresponding dot and dash arrow. Finally the exhaust gases pass through the restricted discharge slot around the battle plate 22 so as to emerge from the casing through any suitable outlet which may be formed in connection therewith such as the outlet 24 on the end plate or member 31 which may have a similar connecting flange 3 for 006peration with the casing body 4. This end member may be secured in position in any suitable way, as for instance, by suitable extensions formed on the main spacing rods QOwith which suitable nuts, such as 25, may cohperate so as to tightly secure in position this outlet end member after the other parts of-the silencer have been assembled and the casing put in position thereover.

By this arrangement the sharp irregular gas impulses are smoothed or evened out and the character of the exhaust is considerably equalized so as to be much more, uniform then finally discharged from the silencer and 'no longer objectionable because of its noise. The various sound elements in the original gas engine exhaust have furthermore been largely or practically silenced or eliminated by reflection and interference action on the various surfaces of the partitions and by circulation around the passages forming the succession of whirl chambers. 'lhisj'noise silencing action may when necessary be considerablyincreased by admitting cooling water with the exhaust gases which also reduces the volume of the gases by promoting the heat dissipation from the silencer casing.

Fig. 3 shows a somewhat modified arrangement in which .the internal shell 39 is given a substantially cylindrical form and the inlet opening 29 for the gas engine exhaust may asshown be arranged centrally so that theentering exhaust gases have direct access to this'inner equalizing chamber 32 by being preliminarily discharged there into. An annular series of apertures such as 6 may be provided by which the exhaust gases may pass from this equalizing chamber into one or more of the initial whirl chambers, such as 41,. formed by the partitions 8, 9 and 10. These partitions may, if desired, be mounted on supporting rods, such as 30, which may be arranged within the annular space between the shell and casing and thus somewhat more firmly support the partitions and somewhat retard or reduce the movement of the gases around these Whirl chambers.

This invention has been described in connection with a number of illustrative embodiments, forms, proportions, materials, constructions, numbers and arrangements of parts, to the details of which disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited, since \Vhat is claimed as new and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims,

1. In silencers adapted for use with gas engines or the like, a casing body, a cooperating end member having an inlet opening and an integral internal deflector to direct the exhaust gases around the end of said casing, an internal shell having a series of longitudinal recesses and mounted within said casin to form an inner eqnalizing chamber, a dlscharge bafile plate closing one end of said shell and leaving a restricted annular discharge slot extending around the casing, a series of spacing rods located in said recesses and holding said baflie plate and shell againstsaid end member, a seriesv of multiple spirally curved partitions located between said shell and said casing and having integral supporting lugs mounted between spacing sleeves on said-spacing rods to form a series of communicating annular whirl chambers each having a plurality of retarding discharge openings-into the suc 'ceeding chamber, the initial whirl chamber With'which said opening communicates being provided on its inner side with an annular series of accelerating discharge apertures having cooperating deflecting guides projecting into said whirl chamber to pro mote the periodic passages of part of the initial gas impulses into said equalizing chamber, an end member provided with an outlet opening and cooperating with said casing body and held in position thereon by nuts coiiperating with extensions on said spacing rods.

2. In silencers adapted for use with gas engines or the like, a casing body, a cooperating end member having an inlet opening and an internal deflector to direct the exhaust gases around the end of said casing. an internal shell having a series of Iongitudinal recesses and mounted Within said casing to form an inner equalizing chamher, a discharge baffle plate closing one end of said shell, a series of spacing rods located in said recesses and holding said baffle plate and shell against said end member, a series of multiple spirally curved partitions located between said shell and said casing and having integral supporting lugs mounted between spacing sleeves to form a series of communicating annular whirl chambers each having a plurality of retarding discharge openings into the succeeding chamber, an end memberprovided with an outlet opening and coiiperating with said casing body and. held in position thereon by nuts cooperating with extensions on said Spacing rods.

3. In silencers adapted for use with gas engines or the like, a casing body, a coiiperating end member having an inlet opening and an internal deflector to direct the exhaust gases around the end of said casing, an internal shell having a series of longitudinal recessesand mounted within said casing to form an inner equalizing chamber, a discharge bafiie plate closing one end of said shell, a series of spacing rods located in said recesses and holding said ballieplate and shell against said end member, a series of spirally curved partitions located between said shell and said casing and mounted between spacing sleeves on said spacing rods to form a series of communicating annular whirl chambers, an end member provided with an outlet opening and coiiperating with said. casing body and held in position by extensions on said spacing rods.

4. In silencers adapted for use with gas engines or the like, a casing, a cooperating end member having an inlet opening, an internal "shell having a series of longitudinal recesses and mounted within said casing to form an inner equalizing chamber, a dis charge baffle plateclosing one end of said shell and leaving a restricted annular discharge slot extending around the casing, a series of spacing rods located in said recesses and holding said bafile plate and shell against said end member, a series of multiple spirally curved partitions located between said shell and said casing and mounted between spacing sleeves on said spacing rods and having integral supporting lugs for engagement with said spacing rods to form a series of communicating annular whirl chambers each having a plurality of retarding. discharge openings into the sucoutlet opening and cooperating with said casing and held in position by said spacing rods.

5. In silencers adapted for use with gas engines or the like, a casing, a cooperating end member having an inlet opening, an internal shell having a series of longitudinal recesses and mounted within said casing to form an inner equalizing chamber, a plate closing one end of said shell, a series of spacing rods located in said recesses and holding said plate and shell against said end member, a series of multiple spirally curved partitions located between said shell and said casing to form a series of communicating annular whirl chambers each hav ing a plurality of retarding discharge openings, the initial whirl chamber with which said opening communicates being provided on its inner side with a series of accelerating discharge apertures having cooperating deflecting guides projecting into said whirl chamber to promote the periodic passage of part of the initial gas impulses into said equalizing chamber and an end member provided with an outlet opening and cooperating with said casing.

6. In silencers adapted for use with gas engines or the like, a casing, a cooperating end member having an inlet opening, an internal shell having a series of longitudinal recesses and mounted within said casing to form an inner equalizing chamber, a. plate closing one end of said shell, a series of spacing rods located in said recesses and holding said plate and shell against said end member, a series of multiple spirally curved partitions located between said shell and said casing to form a series of communicating annular whirl chambers each having a plurality of retarding discharge openings, the initial whirl chamber with which said opening communicates being provided with a series of acceleratin discharge apertures to promote the periodic passage of part of the initial gas impulses into said equalizing internal shell mounted within said casing to form an inner equalizing chamber to which the entering exhaust gases have access, a discharge baille plate closing One end of said shell and leaving a restrlcted annular discharge slot extending around the casing, a series of spacing rods holding said baiile plate and shell against said end member, a series of multiple lapping spirally curved partitions located between said shell and said casing and mounted between spacing sleeves on said spacing rods to form a series of communicating annular whirl chambers each having three retarding discharge openings into the succeeding chamher, the initial whirl chamber bein provided on its inner side with a series 0 apertures into said equalizing chamber, an end member provided with an outlet opening and cooperating with said casing and held in position thereon by nuts cooperating with extensions on said spacing rods.

8. In silencers adapted for use with gas engines or the like, a casing, a cooperating and member having an inlet opening, an internal shell mountedwithin said casing to form an inner equalizing chamber to which the entering exhaust ases have access, a discharge baiiie plate c osing one end of said shell, a series of spacing rods holding said bafile plate and shell against said end member, a series of multiple lapping spirally curved partitions located between said shell and said casing and mounted between spacing sleeves on said spacing rods to form a series of communicating annular whirl chambers each having three retarding discharge openings into the succeeding chamber, the initial whirl chamber being provided with a series of apertures into said equalizing chamber, an end member. provided with an outlet opening and cooperating with said casing and held in position by said spacing rods.

9. In silencers adapted for use with gas engines or the like, a casing, a cooperating end member having an inlet opening, an internal shell mounted within said casing to form an inner equalizing chamber to which the enteringexhaust ases have access, a discharge battle plate 0 osing one end of said shell, a series of spacing rods hold ing said bafile plate and shell against said end member, a' series of multiple lapping spirally curved partitions located between said shell and said casing and mounted between spacing sleeves on said spacing rods to form a series of communicating annular whirl chambers having discharge openings into the succeeding chamber, the initial whirl chamber being provided with a series of apertures into said equalizing chamber, an end member provided with an outlet opening and cooperating withsaid casing.

10. In silencers adapted for use with gas engines or the like, a casing, a cooperating end member having an inlet opening, an internal shell mounted within said casing to form an inner equalizing chamber to which the entering exhaustgases have access, a plate'closing one end of. said shell, a series of spacing reds holding-said plate and shell against said end member, a series of lapping spirally curved partitions located between said shell and said casing and mounted on said spacing rods to form a series of communicating annular whirl chambers having discharge openings into the succeeding chamber, the initial whirl chamber being provided with a-series of apertures into said equalizing chamber, an end member provided with an outlet opening and cooperating with said casing.

11. In silencers adapted for use with gas engines or the like, a casing comprising end members having an outlet and an inlet opening, an internal shell mounted Within said casing to form an inner substantially cylindrical equalizing chamber to which the entering gases have access, a series of multiple lapping curved partitions mounted on spacing members between said shell and said casing to form a series of communicating annular Whirl chambers each having a plurality of retarding discharge openings into the succeeding chamber, the initial whirl chamber beingprovided on its inner side with an annular series of apertures into the equalizing chamber and a discharge battle plate mounted within said casing adjacent to the discharge opening therefrom and having a restricted annular discharge slot extending around said casing beyond said shell.

12. In silencers adapted for-use with gas engines or the like, a'casing comprising end members having an outlet and an inlet opening, an internal shell mounted Within said casing to form an inner equalizing chamber to which the entering gases have access, a series of multiple lapping curved partitions mounted between said shell and said casing to form a series of communicating annular whirl chambers each having a plurality of retarding discharge openings into the succeeding chamber, the initial Whirl chamber being provided with a series of apertures into the equalizing chamber and a discharge bafile plate mounted within said casing adj acent the discharge opening therefrom and having a restricted annular discharge slot extending around said casing beyond said shell.

13. In silencers adapted for use with gas engines or the like, a casing comprising end members having an outlet and an inlet opening, an internal shell mounted within said casing to form an inner equalizing chamber to which the entering gases have access, a series of curved partitions mounted between said shell and said casingto form a series of communicating annular whirl chambers each having a plurality of discharge openings into the succeeding chamber, the initial whirl chamber being provided with a series of apertures into the equalizing chamber.

14. In silencers adapted for use with gas engines or the like, a casing comprisingend members having an outlet and an inlet opening provided with an internal deflector to direct the entering gases around the end of the casing, an internal shell mounted within said casing to form an inner substantially cylindrical equalizing chamber, a series of multiple curved partitions mounted on spacing members between said shell and said caslng to form a series of'communicating annular whirl chambers each having a plurality of discharge openings into the succeeding chamber, the initial whirl chamber being provided on its inner side with a series of accelerating discharge apertures provided with cooperating deflecting guides to pro mote the passage of the initial gas impulses into the equalizing chamber and a discharge baliie plate. mounted within said casing adjacent the discharge opening therefrom and having a restricted annular discharge slot extending around said casing beyond said shell.

15. In silencers adapted for use with gas engines or the like, a casing comprising end members having an outlet and an inlet opening provided with a deflector to direct the entering gases around the end of the casing, an internal shell mounted within said casing to form an inner equalizing chamber, a series of multiple curved partitions mounted on spacing members between said shell and said casing to form a series of communicating annular whirl chambers each having a plurality of discharge openings into the succeeding chamber, the initial Whirl chamber being provided with a series of accelerating discharge apertures provided with cooperating deflecting guides to promote the passage of the initial gas impulses into the equalizing chamber.

16. In silencers adapted for use with gas engines or the like, a casing comprising end members having an outlet and an inlet opening provided with a deflector to direct the entering gases around the end of the casing, an internal shell mounted within said casing to form an inner equalizing chamber,a series of curved partitions mounted between said shell and said casing to form a series of communicating annular whirl chambers each having a plurality of discharge openings into the succeeding chamber, the initial whirl chamber being provided with a series of discharge apertures to promote the passage of the initial gas impulses into the equalizing chamber.

17. In silencers adapted for use with gas engines or the like, a casing having an outlet and an inlet opening, an internal shell mounted within said casing to form an inner substantially cylindrical equalizing chamber, a series of multiple curved partitions mounted on spacing members between said shell and said casing to form a longi tudinal series of communicating annular whirl chambers in said casing each having a plurality of retardin discharge openings into the succeeding c amber, there being three lapping substantially semi-circular partitions between each two chambers, and a discharge bafile plate mounted within said casing adjacent the discharge openingtherefrom and having a restricted annular discharge slot extending around said casing beyond said shell.

18. In silencers adapted for use with gas engines or the like, a casing having an outlet and an inlet opening, an internal shell mounted within said casing, a series of multiple curved partitions mounted on spacing. members between said shell and said casing to form a longitudinal series of communicating annular whirl chambers in said casing each having a plurality of retarding discharge openings into the succeeding chamber, there being three lapping substantially semicircu- 'lar partitions between each two chambers.

19. In silencers for use with gas engines or the like, a casing having an outlet and an inlet opening, an internal shell mounted within said casing, a series of multiple curved partitions mounted between said shell and said casing to form a longitudinal HIRAM PERCY MAXIM.

Witnesses:

E. K. HUBBARD, J r., Onon- P. RAUB. 

